Saturday, February 5, 2011

WikiLeaks on Embezzlement of Overseas Aid to Africa

The true scale of the theft of overseas aid money by corrupt foreign regimes is disclosed in leaked documents and reported on by The Daily Telegraph. Tens of millions of dollars has been pocketed by government ministers and other officials, much of it used to buy luxury goods, according to cables.

In August, 2009, for example,a secret cable from the US embassy in Freetown reported “deep corruption” within Sierra Leone’s defence ministry, “primarily through pocketing of enlisted members’ salaries”.


June Carter Perry, the US ambassador, wrote: “The British envoy revealed that the GoSL (Government of Sierra Leone) demanded a $4 million contribution from the UK for the Ministry of Defense to support peacekeeping.

“Upon examination, the British discovered that half of the funds were for the personal use of the minister [Palo Conteh] and top brass. Items such as 36 plasma TVs and hunting rifles for the minister’s own use were included.”
 
In January last year, senior Ugandan officials were accused of “misusing” £16.5 million allocated to help pay for the 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. US diplomats in Kampala noted that Britain was “deeply angered” by the scandal and was “seriously considering visa restrictions” on the men in question to punish them.
 
In January last year, senior Ugandan officials were accused of “misusing” £16.5 million allocated to help pay for the 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. US diplomats in Kampala noted that Britain was “deeply angered” by the scandal and was “seriously considering visa restrictions” on the men in question to punish them.

5 comments:

  1. End all foreign aid. Period.
    http://www.endervidualism.com/lilar/playing_gt_game.htm

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  2. That's likely peanuts compared to misappropriations by uniformed military personnel within the DoD. Would love to see that black box budget get audited. Paging Senator Rand Paul!

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  3. Taylor, foreign aid might be peanuts to the US, but it has a deleterious effect out of all proportion to its size on the countries it goes to.

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  4. Corporations are funneling money to government leaders as well. You had the Halliburton "facilitating payments" shakedown.

    Carlyle's Cobalt Energy gave government leaders an equity stake (10%) in offshore drilling in Angola. Soros is in on the deal. Have him be transparent on that.

    http://peureport.blogspot.com/2010/08/african-union-robber-barons.html

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  5. Lila,

    I can't argue with that, so I won't.

    ;)

    ReplyDelete